A dangerous case with ties leading back to the battlefields of World War I dredges up dark memories for Scotland Yard Inspector Ian Rutledge in Hunting Shadows, a gripping and atmospheric historical mystery set in 1920s England, from acclaimed New York Times bestselling author Charles Todd. A society wedding at Ely Cathedral in Cambridgeshire becomes a crime scene when a man is murdered. After another body is found, the baffled local constabulary turns to Scotland Yard. Though the second crime had a witness, her description of the killer is so strange its unbelievable. Despite his experience, Inspector Ian Rutledge has few answers of his own. The victims are so different that there is no rhyme or reason to their deaths. Nothing logically seems to connect them-except the killer. As the investigation widens, a clear suspect emerges. But for Rutledge, the facts still don't add up, leaving him to question his own judgment. In going over the details of the case, Rutledge is reminded of a dark episode he witnessed in the war. While the memory could lead him to the truth, it also raises a prickly dilemma. To stop a murderer, will the ethical detective choose to follow the letter-or the spirit-of the law?

Hunting Shadows - An Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery

USA Today BestsellerIn this newest installment of the acclaimed New York Times bestselling series, Scotland Yard's Ian Rutledge is faced with his most perplexing case yet: a murder with no body, and a killer who can only be a ghost. Spring, 1921. Scotland Yard sends Inspector Ian Rutledge to the sea-battered village of Walmer on the coast of Essex, where amongst the salt flats and a military airfield lies Benton Abbey, a grand manor with a storied past. The lady of the house may prove his most bewildering witness yet. She claims she saw a violent murder-but there is no body, no blood. She also insists she recognized the killer: Captain Nelson. Only it could not have been Nelson because he died during the war. Everyone in the village believes that Lady Benton's losses have turned her mind-she is, after all, a grieving widow and mother-but the woman Rutledge interviews is rational and self-possessed. And then there is Captain Nelson: what really happened to him in the war? The more Rutledge delves into this baffling case, the more suspicious tragedies he uncovers. The Abbey and the airfield hold their secrets tightly. Until Rutledge arrives, and a new trail of death follows.

A Game of Fear - A Novel

Declaring he needs to clear his conscience, a dying man walks into Scotland Yard and confesses that he killed his cousin five years earlier during the Great War. When Inspector Ian Rutledge presses for details, the man evades his questions, revealing only that he hails from a village east of London. With little information and no body to open an official inquiry, Rutledge begins to look into the case on his own.Less than two weeks later, the alleged killer's body is found floating in the Thames, a bullet in the back of his head. Searching for answers, Rutledge discovers that the dead man was not who he claimed to be. What was his real name—and who put a bullet in his head? Were the "confession" and his own death related? Or was there something else in the victim's past that led to his murder?The inspector's only clue is a gold locket, found around the dead man's neck, that leads back to Essex and an insular village whose occupants will do anything to protect themselves from notoriety. For notoriety brings the curious, and with the curious come change and an unwelcome spotlight on a centuries-old act of evil that even now can damn them all.

La Mort en Confession

A horrific explosion at a gunpowder mill sends Bess Crawford to war-torn France to keep a deadly pattern of lies from leading to more deaths, in this compelling and atmospheric mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of A Question of Honor and An Unwilling Accomplice. An explosion and fire at the Ashton Gunpowder Mill in Kent has killed over a hundred men. It's called an appalling tragedy-until suspicion and rumor raise the specter of murder. While visiting the Ashton family, Bess Crawford finds herself caught up in a venomous show of hostility that doesn't stop with Philip Ashton's arrest. Indeed, someone is out for blood, and the household is all but under siege. The only known witness to the tragedy is now at the Front in France. Bess is asked to find him. When she does, he refuses to tell her anything that will help the Ashtons. Realizing that he believes the tissue of lies that has nearly destroyed a family, Bess must convince him to tell her what really happened that terrible Sunday morning. But now someone else is also searching for this man. To end the vicious persecution of the Ashtons, Bess must risk her own life to protect her reluctant witness from a clever killer intent on preventing either of them from ever reaching England.

A Pattern of Lies - A Bess Crawford Mystery

Scotland Yard's Ian Rutledge seeks a killer who has eluded Scotland Yard for years in this next installment of the acclaimed New York Times bestselling series. An astonishing tip from a grateful ex-convict seems implausible-but Inspector Ian Rutledge is intrigued and brings it to his superior at Scotland Yard. Alan Barrington, who has evaded capture for ten years, is the suspect in an appalling murder during Black Ascot, the famous 1910 royal horse race meet honoring the late King Edward VII. His disappearance began a manhunt that consumed Britain for a decade. Now it appears that Barrington has returned to England, giving the Yard a last chance to retrieve its reputation and see justice done. Rutledge is put in charge of a quiet search under cover of a routine review of a cold case. Meticulously retracing the original inquiry, Rutledge begins to know Alan Barrington well, delving into relationships and secrets that hadn't surfaced in 1910. But is he too close to finding his man? His sanity is suddenly brought into question by a shocking turn of events. His sister Frances, Melinda Crawford, and Dr. Fleming stand by him, but there is no greater shame than shell shock. Questioning himself, he realizes that he cannot look back. The only way to save his career-much less his sanity-is to find Alan Barrington and bring him to justice. But is this elusive murderer still in England?

The Black Ascot

Scotland Yard inspector Ian Rutledge returns shell shocked from the trenches of World War I, tormented by the memory of Hamish MacLeod, the young Scots soldier he executed on the battlefield. Now, Charles Todd features Hamish himself in this compelling, stand-alone short story. Before the Great War, Hamish farms in the Highlands, living in a small croft on the hillside and caring for a flock of sheep he inherited from his grandmother. When at the height of a spring gale, he hears a faint cry echoing across the glen, Hamish sets out into the stormy night to find the source. Near the edge of the loch he spots a young boy lying wounded, a piper's bag beside him. Hamish brings the piper to his home to stay the night and tends to his head wound, but by the time Hamish wakes the boy has vanished.  Worried, he goes in pursuit of the injured piper and finds him again collapsed in the heather--dead. Who was the mysterious piper, and who was seeking his death? As Hamish scours the countryside for answers, he finds that few of his neighbors are as honest as he, and that until he uncovers a motive, everyone, including Hamish, is a suspect.

The Piper - An Inspector Ian Rutledge Story

L'inspecteur lan Rutledge, de Scotland Yard, aurait sans doute préféré ne jamais retourner à Marling, une petite ville du Kent qui ne lui a pas laissé que de bons souvenirs... C'est là, entre autres, qu'en 1912 il a envoyé à la potence un certain Ben Shaw, pour l'assassinat de plusieurs vieilles dames.Sept années plus tard, Mme Shaw, disposant d'éléments nouveaux, demande la révision du procès pour réhabiliter la mémoire de son défunt mari. Un doute s'empare alors de Rutledge : et s'il était responsable d'une erreur judiciaire ?Reprenant l'enquête, il se heurte à la bourgeoisie de Marling, qui n'a pas pour habitude de livrer facilement ses secrets, surtout à quelqu'un qu'elle connaît bien. Et avec qui il lui reste certains comptes à régler...À la manière du commissaire Maigret, qui s'inspire de l'atmosphère des lieux et cherche plus à comprendre qu'à pourfendre, Rutledge, hanté par les réminiscences de la Grande Guerre, devra aussi affronter les fantômes de son passé pour mener à terme son enquête.Charles Todd... Sous ce nom de plume se cachent en réalité une mère et son fils, résidant sur la côte Est des Etats-Unis. Après Héritage mortel (2002) et Les Fantômes d'Osterley (2004), les éditions de l'Archipel publient la troisième enquête de l'inspecteur lan Rutledge, un personnage, selon le Washington Post, «des plus intelligent et attachant de la littérature policière contemporaine».

A Fearsome Doubt (Inspector Ian Rutledge, #6)

Au cours de la Première Guerre mondiale, Ian Rutledge a fait passer devant le peloton d'exécution un soldat écossais pour insubordination... Depuis, il est hanté par le fantôme de Hamish, qui l'aide néanmoins dans ses enquêtes.La guerre terminée, Rutledge a en effet repris son poste d'inspecteur à Scotland Yard. Aujourd'hui, il se retrouve dans la campagne anglaise, où un terrible crime vient d'être commis. Cinq membres de la famille Elcott, le père, la mère et trois de leurs enfants ont été tués chez eux.Alors que les autorités locales préfèrent accuser un voyou de la région, l'inspecteur Rutledge, quant à lui, découvre qu'un des membres de la famille, un garçon de 10 ans, a réchappé au massacre. Rutledge est alors convaincu que le rescapé sera bientôt la prochaine victime du tueur. À moins qu'il ne soit lui-même l'assassin.

Trahison à froid (Inspector Ian Rutledge, #7)

"Highly recommended-well-rounded, believable characters, a multi-layered plot solidly based on human nature, all authentically set in the England of 1917.an outstanding and riveting read."-New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens "Bess Crawford is a strong and likable character."-Washington TimesAlready deservedly lauded for the superb historical crime novels featuring shell-shocked Scotland Yard inspector Ian Rutledge (A Lonely Death, A Pale Horse et al), acclaimed author Charles Todd upped the ante by introducing readers to a wonderful new series protagonist, World War One battlefield nurse Bess Crawford. Featured for a third time in A Bitter Truth, Bess reaches out to help an abused and frightened young woman, only to discover that no good deed ever goes unpunished when the good Samaritan nurse finds herself falsely accused of murder. A terrific follow up to Todd's A Duty to the Dead and An Impartial Witness, A Bitter Truth is another thrilling and evocative mystery from "one of the most respected writers in the genre" (Denver Post) and a treat for fans of Elizabeth George, Anne Perry, Martha Grimes, and Jacqueline Winspear.

A Bitter Truth - A Bess Crawford Mystery

Il y a dix ans, pendant la Grande Guerre, j'ai assassine mon cousin... declare l'homme qui vient de se presenter a Scotland Yard. Une derniere confession pour soulager sa conscience ? Quelques jours plus tard, son corps est retrouve flottant dans la Tamise. A la recherche de reponses, l'inspecteur Ian Rutledge decouvre que le mort n'est pas celui qu'il pretendait etre. Quel est son veritable nom ? Ses pretendus aveux et son assassinat sont-ils lies ? Seul indice: un medaillon autour du cou du cadavre qui conduit Rutledge jusqu'a un village de la campagne anglaise. Un village dont les habitants protegent jalousement les secrets de leur passe... Meurtres, trahisons, vengeance: le passe ressurgit toujours."

La Mort en confession

"Todd's novels are known for compelling plotting with a thoughtful whodunit aspect, rich characterization, evocative prose, and haunting atmosphere."-Richmond Times-Dispatch"Readers who can't get enough of [Jacqueline Winspear's] Maisie Dobbs.are bound to be caught up in the adventures of Bess Crawford."-New York Times Book ReviewTo great critical acclaim, author Charles Todd introduced protagonist Bess Crawford in A Duty to the Dead. The dedicated World War I nurse returns in An Impartial Witness, and finds herself in grave peril when a moral obligation makes her the inadvertent target of a killer. As hauntingly evocative as Todd's award-winning, New York Times bestselling Ian Rutledge novels, An Impartial Witness transports readers to a dark time of war and involves us in murder, intrigue, and the fascinating affairs of a truly unforgettable cast of characters.

An Impartial Witness - A Bess Crawford Mystery

Get four mystery novels from New York Times bestselling author Charles Todd's Inspector Ian Rutledge Mysteries series in one e-book, including: A Test of Wills, A Long Shadow, A False Mirror, and A Pale Horse. Set in England in 1919, each story features war-damaged Scotland Yard inspector Ian Rutledge in mysteries brilliantly evoking post-World War I Great Britain and introduces readers to one of crime fiction's most compelling protagonists. A Test of Wills-It is 1919, and the War to End All Wars has been won. But for Scotland Yard Inspector Ian Rutledge, recently returned from the battlefields of France, there is no peace. Suffering from shell shock, Rutledge plunges into his work to save his sanity. But his first assignment is a case certain to spell both personal and professional disaster. A Long Shadow-A story that immerses readers in the sights and sounds of post-war Great Britain, as the damaged policeman pursues answers to a constable's slaying and the three-year-old mystery of a young girl's disappearance in a tiny Northamptonshire village. A False Mirror-A love triangle turned deadly sends Scotland Yard Inspector Ian Rutledge to a small town simmering with secrets. A Pale Horse-A body found in the ruins of an ancient abbey sends Scotland Yard Inspector Ian Rutledge off to find a killer, in another superb atmospheric mystery by Charles Todd.

The Ian Rutledge Starter - A Test of Wills, A Long Shadow, A False Mirror, and A Pale Horse

"You're going to love Todd."-Stephen King, Entertainment WeeklyThe critically acclaimed creator of the Inspector Ian Rutledge and battlefield nurse Bess Crawford mystery series, Charles Todd now offers readers a bittersweet love story and romantic mystery that unfolds at Christmas during the dangerous opening days of World War I.  The Walnut Tree is an unforgettable story of a woman who puts herself in the line of fire for the sake of wounded soldiers and falls deeply in love with a man who may be forbidden to her.  For anyone who has fallen under the spell of Downton Abbey, and for all the fans of the British-set mysteries of Elizabeth George, Anne Perry, Ruth Rendell, Martha Grimes, and Jacqueline Winspear, The Walnut Tree is essential reading.

The Walnut Tree - A Holiday Tale

Il y a dix ans, pendant la Grande Guerre, j'ai assassine mon cousin... C'est la declaration d'un homme qui se presente a Scotland Yard. Une derniere confession pour soulager la conscience d'un homme malade ? Quelques jours plus tard, le corps de l'homme est retrouve flottant dans la Tamise. A la recherche de reponses, l'inspecteur Ian Rutledge decouvre que le mort n'est pas celui qu'il pretendait etre. Quel etait son veritable nom ? Ses pretendus aveux et son assassinat sont-ils lies ? Seul indice: un medaillon autour du cou du cadavre qui conduit Rutledge jusqu'a un village de la campagne anglaise. Un village dont les habitants protegent jalousement les secrets de leur passe. Un grand roman policier: un evenement litteraire salue dans le monde entier."

Charles Heavitree Todd, né le 7 juillet 1826 à Islington et mort le 29 janvier 1910 à Adélaïde, est un astronome et télégraphiste australien du XIXe siècle.
Charles Todd construisit la première ligne télégraphique transcontinentale australienne entre Darwin et Adélaïde en 1872.
Alice Springs a été nommée en l'honneur de sa femme, Alice Gillam Bell.

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Todd

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